A huge thanks to Acustruct for presenting this weekend’s match preview.
For newly-promoted sides, the honeymoon never lasts forever – you will always experience a lean run.
After an outstanding start to life in Victoria’s second division, the Redbacks’ winter of discontent has arrived. Five games without a win, with three road defeats and two home draws.
The good news is that Eltham is still undefeated on their home deck, and the visit of Western United on Friday night could prove just the tonic.
Eltham are sixth in VPL1 on 25 points, a strong return for a side in their first campaign at this level. Seven wins, four draws and a goal difference of +9 point to a team that scores freely and holds its own across the division. Last week brought a 3-1 loss away at Brunswick City, a winnable game against a side sitting ninth that got away from them after a red card to Jack Butts. Friday is a chance to put it right.
After the club’s parent company was put into receivership last week, you could forgive the young Western United players from having more on their mind than football. Their inconsistent, seesawing form saw them topple Manningham United in a 4-3 thriller, before drawing a blank in a 0-0 draw with Port Melbourne last week. Western sit 11th, narrowly outside the relegation zone, only ahead of Langwarrin on goals scored.
Star man and captain Mark Leonard is the fourth-top scorer in VPL1 this season with 10 to his name, while Ali Al Sheikh and Joseph De Los Santos Myles have chipped in with five apiece.
The Redbacks were victorious on their trip to Tarneit earlier this season, with early goals from Marcus Day and Josh Millar enough to ride out a comfortable 2-0 victory. Get the basics right against a team Eltham have already beaten, and the ‘Backs push straight back toward the company they want to keep in the top six.
Kick-off Friday 8:30pm.
Up the ‘Backs.